Bryce Dallas Howard Reacts To ‘The Help’ Topping Netflix With Other Movie Recommendations

“The Help” had been trending on Netflix’s Top 10 ranking for days, but star Bryce Dallas Howard revealed that she hopes people are watching other movies to learn about racism.

“I’m so grateful for the exquisite friendships that came from that film -- our bond is something I treasure deeply and will last a lifetime,” Howard wrote on Facebook and other social media. “This being said, ‘The Help’ is a fictional story told through the perspective of a white character and was created by predominantly white storytellers. We can all go further.”

“The Help,” which was released in 2011, tells the story of an aspiring white journalist (Emma Stone) and her relationship with two black maids (Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer) during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The Academy Award-nominated film was directed by Tate Taylor and based on the novel by Kathryn Stockett, both of whom are white.

Netflix viewers have already shifted their focus. “The Help” dropped out of the Top 10 with the release of new seasons for “13 Reasons Why,” which ranks at No. 1, and “Queer Eye.”

Still, the “Jurassic World” star hopes viewers continue to watch stories to better understand the Black Lives Matter movement. “Stories are a gateway to radical empathy and the greatest ones are catalysts for action,” she added. “If you are seeking ways to learn about the Civil Rights Movement, lynchings, segregation, Jim Crow, and all the ways in which those have an impact on us today, here are a handful of powerful, essential, masterful films and shows that center Black lives, stories, creators, and / or performers.”

Her list includes the Netflix originals like Ava DuVernay's “13th” and “When They See Us.” Spike Lee's 1992 film “Malcom X,” starring Denzel Washington, is also available on the streaming giant.

Meanwhile,“Say Her Name: The Life And Death Of Sandra Bland” and “Watchmen” are both streaming on HBO Max.

Though they aren’t streaming, the other half of Howard’s recommendations include “Just Mercy” and “Selma,” which studios made available to rent for free this month.

Elsewhere, “Eyes on the Prize” is available to buy on iTunes or on DVD, and “I am Not Your Negro” is available to rent online for just 99 cents.

The actress noted that her viewing recommendations are by no means a complete list and encouraged fans to post their own suggestions.

“The Help” earned critical and commercial success when it was released, but it has received criticism since then. Viola Davis told the New York Times in 2018 that she regrets doing the movie.

“I just felt that at the end of the day that it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard. I know Aibileen. I know Minny,” she said. “They’re my grandma. They’re my mom. And I know that if you do a movie where the whole premise is, I want to know what it feels like to work for white people and to bring up children in 1963, I want to hear how you really feel about it. I never heard that in the course of the movie.”

The actress emphasized that she had a great experience on set and formed lasting friendships.